Blood Oranges and the Negative Interaction With Medications

by
JILL CORLEONE, RDN, LD Aug. 14, 2017

Jill Corleone, RDN, LD

Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition.

Eating a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables can help prevent chronic disease. But if you're taking certain medications, you may need to avoid certain types of fruits or vegetables because of how they interact with medications. Blood oranges, a type of citrus fruit, can interact with a number of medications. You should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether it is safe for you to eat blood oranges with your medications.

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Blood Orange

Blood oranges, also called pigmented or moro oranges, are similar to regular oranges, except the fruit is colored a deep red. The fruit itself has a taste similar to a regular orange, but is less acidic and has a hint of raspberry flavoring. Blood oranges are also low in calories and high in fiber and vitamin C. One 5.4-ounce blood orange contains 70 calories, 0.5 grams of fat,15 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of protein and 110 percent of your daily value for vitamin C. The percent daily value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Diuretics

Diuretics are used to help reduce the amount of fluids in your body. They are most often prescribed for people with hypertension. Some diuretics cause you to lose potassium in addition to water, but others increase your body's retention of potassium. If you are prescribed a potassium-sparing diuretic, such as triamterene, you want to avoid consuming eating foods high in potassium, such as bananas, oranges and green leafy vegetables, says Colorado State University Extension. Blood oranges are high in potassium, with 260 milligrams in one medium fruit.

Macrolides

Macrolides are a group of antibiotics that includes erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin. These antibiotics are used to inhibit the growth of bacterial and fungal infections. Acidity inactivates the medication, and you should avoid acidic foods while taking this type of antibiotic. While the blood orange is less acidic than the typical orange, you should still avoid consuming them when taking macrolides.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are allergy medications used to relieve symptoms caused by hay fever, colds and allergens. Examples include diphenhydramine, known as Benadryl, and fexofenadine, known as Allegra. You should not take fexofenadine with orange, apple or grapefruit juice, because they decrease the medication's bioavailabilty, according to Colorado State University Extension. This also means not drinking juice made from blood oranges while taking this type of antihistamine.